The Vatican Museums, which house some of the world’s greatest art treasures, will remain closed for a month in accordance with new Covid-19 restrictions announced by Italy in order to tame the surge in coronavirus infections and deaths.
The vast museums reopened on the 1st of June to a limited number of visitors after a three-month closure during the first wave of COVID-19 in Italy.
The Vatican said in a statement that the museums would remain closed from next Thursday to at least the 3rd of December.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the Vatican Museums, which include Michael Angelo’s Sistine Chapel, drew about 6 million visitors a year and were a major source of revenue for the Vatican.
On Wednesday morning, Pope Francis’ weekly general audience took place online as one of the participants was tested positive last month. Speaking from his private library with a small number of priests, the pope called on citizens to follow the coronavirus guidelines set by Italian authorities and health experts.
Source: ANA-MPA
